Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Adam

D ear God , Adam was in trouble. Being with Magnus at work and having all of his attention in the lab was bad enough. But being in the house with him? In the car? In the store with his arm gently on the back of Adam’s elbow as he waxed poetic about the best way to roast a chicken?

If he hadn’t been half in love before, he was definitely half in love now and careening toward the edge of completely falling for a man who would likely never want him back.

Adam’s plan to get in, get the thumb drive, and get out fizzled the moment Magnus offered to cook him dinner. He told himself to decline, to be polite and say thank you, but he couldn’t. Magnus had a look Adam recognized all too well. He was lonely and sad and trying to cover it up by saying this was how life always was.

It was Adam’s mantra. It was a familiar song etched along the back of his tongue. He’d perfected that melody. And there was no chance in hell he could keep letting Magnus sing it when he could offer him company for a little while.

After all, it was only dinner. What could it hurt?

“The one thing I’ve not been the best at is finding mold when it’s just growing,” Magnus was saying as he was feeling his way along the zucchini pile.

They were all a little sad looking. Most of the produce was, but that wasn’t unexpected considering the shop had been cleared out for Christmas feasts and the storms had likely prevented delivery trucks from restocking.

It took Adam a second to realize Magnus was asking him to do a check. “Oh. Uh, it looks fine to me. Maybe cook it tonight because it might not last, but yeah.”

Magnus smiled and set two of them in the cart. “How did the clouds look when we got here? I should probably stock up on a few things before I get snowed in.”

Adam grimaced. The clouds were getting thicker and fatter and greyer. It was going to be a bad one. He was likely going to miss the huge blizzard so long as he left directly after dinner, but Magnus would be stuck there.

Alone.

He was pretty sure that was the man’s holiday plan, but it still made his chest ache.

“You could come with me, you know,” Adam said as Magnus began to inspect what was left of the potatoes.

He lifted his head, his eyes squinting, ever restless behind heavy lids. “To the university?”

Adam scoffed. “You don’t have to go in with me. You don’t even need to talk to anyone. You can hang out in the hotel room and then we can have a sad little Christmas together.”

Magnus’s face softened into a smile as he set a bag of potatoes in the cart and reached for Adam’s arm again. “That’s kind, but I’ve never really celebrated holidays. When I was little, yes, but it wasn’t big in my family.”

“Is that a…you’re Swedish, right? Is that a cultural thing?”

Magnus laughed. “Yes. And no, it’s not a Swedish thing. It’s that I was at a residential school for the blind, and sometimes it was just easier for everyone if I didn’t come home for the holidays. The school always tried to make it special, but it was hard to care when you were alone like that.”

Adam swallowed heavily. “I’m sorry. That’s super shitty.”

Magnus laughed as he followed Adam toward the dry goods aisle. It was a small boutique supermarket, so the offerings weren’t huge. But he liked that. It was intimate and quiet, and the aisles were small, so it let him have a reason to keep Magnus close.

“It’s not something I let myself feel bothered about. I’m very comfortable on my own.”

“Yeah, but sometimes you just want company. Or, well, I do.” He felt loose-tongued and comfortable in ways he hadn’t ever before. And he knew it was just Magnus, but he wasn’t embarrassed like he might have been with anyone else. “It’s pathetic of me, I know.”

Magnus used his free hand to pull the cart to a stop. He was so close, Adam could smell what was left of his soap. It was floral and earthy—like lavender. He took a deep breath of it. “Do you really think that about yourself?”

Adam had almost forgotten he’d spoken, and it took him a second to come back to himself. “Sometimes, yeah. I mean, I’ve always been that kind of nerd, you know?”

A smile played at Magnus’s mouth. “I don’t know. Explain it to me.”

Adam groaned and shoved at him playfully. “Don’t pretend like you didn’t have nerds in Sweden, Magnus. Being made fun of for liking science. People misquoting Star Wars at you, then making fun of you when you correct them—or when you tell them Star Wars isn’t sci-fi, it’s space fantasy.”

Magnus’s smile got wider. “I’ve never seen a Star War.”

Adam’s gut clenched with how fucking endearing this man was. “Okay. We have to watch it. Or well…shit.”

Magnus’s face fell, and it looked like he was about to argue, but Adam didn’t want to fuck this up.

“I don’t know if it has audio description. They’re super old and I have them downloaded on my laptop. ”

Magnus’s face did something complicated that Adam didn’t quite understand, then he reached for him and squeezed his arm. “Let’s try it, yes? If you don’t mind me asking questions.”

“Oh God,” Adam said, “that’s a terrible idea. If you get me going, I might never stop.”

They made it through the store, loading up on more supplies than Magnus wanted, but Adam refused to back down. He’d seen what storms like this could do and he didn’t want Magnus on his own without food—especially food that he could eat if the power went out. He also snuck in a few emergency items—like bottles of water, matches, and a shitload of batteries which Magnus wrinkled his nose at, but Adam was a stubborn bastard when he wanted to be.

“I have an electric blanket that runs on batteries,” he explained as they headed back to the car. The air had a vicious bite to it—the sharp, snappy cold that said snow was just on the horizon. And so were the clouds. They were fat and dark and threatening. He was starting to realize he might not make it out on time. “That’ll keep you warm if the storm fucks the grid.”

Magnus sighed but he didn’t bother arguing anymore. He just helped Adam get all the bags into the trunk, then climbed into his seat and buckled up. Adam said very little as he navigated his way back to the rental, and just as they pulled up, fat flakes began to drift down.

“It’s snowing,” he said.

Magnus sighed. “I could feel it. How bad does it look?”

“Not great. I, uh…yeah. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to get out. Even if I left right now.”

“Would that be the worst thing?” Magnus asked him. There was something in his tone—something like hope, and something a little darker and more heated—and Adam’s face flushed, and his dick plumped a little in his boxers .

“I like to think I’m a decent house guest. I mean, maybe not the way you pictured spending your Christmas, but I do make a good hot chocolate.”

“I don’t like American hot chocolate,” Magnus said as he felt for the doorhandle.

Adam made a noise of protest as he climbed out, wincing because the wind was picking up. Yeah, the storm was going to be a real bitch. He didn’t want to die on the side of the road. He was staying.

“I’ll have you know I learned from the best. My Abuelita taught me the perfect recipe before she passed.”

Magnus turned to face him, brows furrowed. “Spanish?”

“Mexican,” Adam corrected. “My great grandmother, but everyone just called her Abuelita—all of us kids, and the ones in the neighborhood. She adopted my mom when she was five from a really fucked-up situation. It’s kind of why my mom’s all fucked-up. We don’t talk. Anyway, I don’t want to bore you with my childhood trauma.”

Magnus tilted his head to the side. “It’s not a bore, and I’d like to hear the story, but I’m afraid we’re going to freeze to death if we take any longer.”

Adam realized they were both shivering, so he quickly divided the bags amongst them, then guided Magnus to the door with his elbow. It took a little effort and bag-juggling to get in, but soon enough they were in the heat, bits of snow melting off their lashes and the ends of their hair.

Adam followed Magnus to the kitchen and set all the bags down. “Do you want to handle it, or do you want to direct me to where you keep stuff.”

Magnus’s face did that thing again, then he shook his head. “Why don’t you go plug in that fancy blanket of yours. And if you have anything in your car, better to bring it in now. I can feel it in the wind. It’s going to be heavy.”

He wasn’t wrong. In the few minutes it took them to get the groceries inside, visibility had gone down. He didn’t want to go back out, but he didn’t have a choice. There was a damn good chance his car was going to be buried by morning.

“If you hear me scream, don’t risk your safety. Just leave me for the wolves.”

Magnus laughed. “There are no wolves, but I’d fight a pack just for you.”

Those words warmed him, strangely, as he hurried to the car to grab the rest of his things. By the time he was back in, the only thing he wanted was the damned heated blanket, a mug of very warm hot chocolate, and maybe Magnus sitting a little closer than friends should rightfully sit.

Only one of those things felt like a real fantasy, and with the way Magnus had been with him that afternoon, even that veil was getting thinner and thinner.

Coming back in was a relief. The cold was next level, and Adam was wholly unprepared for it. He wasn’t built for this kind of weather. Magnus was obviously descended from the goddamn Vikings, and frankly Adam would not hate the sight of him out there in the snow with his chest bare like he was channeling Thor.

“You didn’t collapse?”

Adam realized he’d been standing in the foyer holding all his stuff, dripping all over the floor as snow melted off him. “Ah. No, I didn’t collapse. I got lost in thought, sorry.”

Magnus walked toward him, one hand trailing the wall. “What were you thinking about?”

The question caught him so off-guard, he couldn’t think of a lie. “Have you ever shoveled snow with your shirt off?”

Magnus was stunned into silence. Then he cleared his throat. “I don’t think that would be very safe. Hypothermia isn’t a very fun way to die.”

“Isn’t it just like falling asleep?” Adam asked, then dropped his stuff to slap both hands over his mouth. “Sorry,” he said, the word muffled from behind his fingers.

Magnus found him in half a dozen steps. His hands were out, searching, fingers touching his face and the way Adam was forcing himself to stay quiet. He smiled on a sigh. “I like when you say whatever’s on your mind.”

“Even if I’m being an idi?—”

“No. I don’t like that word,” Magnus said before Adam could finish his thought. “I think it’s sweet. I like you.”

Adam’s cheeks heated. “I have no idea why, but thank you.”

Magnus hummed, frowning, then he dropped to his knees and his hands swept out to inspect everything Adam had dropped. “Is this all you have?”

“I wasn’t really planning on a winter vacation,” he admitted. “This was supposed to be a quick trip.” He could see the living room window from where he was standing, and in the moments he’d been inside, another few inches had dropped. “I could be here a few days.”

Magnus hummed. “Maybe longer.” He pushed to his feet and steadied himself on Adam’s shoulders. “Is that really so bad?”

Adam couldn’t help his laugh. “No. Trust me, I could think of worse ways to spend a week trapped by a snowstorm.”

“Like in the company of stuffy university professors who think they know better than everyone?”

Adam laughed again. “Exactly. I mean, I don’t know why you hate them so much, but?—”

“It was men like them that nearly cost me my career,” Magnus said sharply, then he softened and let go, taking a step back. “Sorry.”

“No. What do you mean?” Adam pressed.

Magnus’s jaw went tight, and he turned his face away. “I don’t want to ruin what will be a good night with my bitterness. Go set up your blankets and find us a Star War.”

Adam grinned helplessly, even though he wanted to know who had hurt Magnus—just a name so he might find them later and make them pay. But he could save that for another time. There was the promise right now of good food and a reason to stay close to the man he was very quickly falling for.